Editor's Musings

Editor's Musings

Thoughts from the editor's desk.

Sharon Cress. 

Dear Friends,

My friend Shirley told me a heart-warming story a couple of weeks ago. She keeps her loose change in a jar in the kitchen, and when her grandson visits, she gives the change to him. This past Christmas, her family spent the holidays at her house. Soon after they arrived on Christmas Eve, she realized that she needed some last-minute items from the grocery store. Her family was tired and scruffy from their trip, and Shirley didn’t look so good herself, but it was getting late, so off they went.

At the checkout, most of the items were her grandson’s picks for treats, so Shirley let him pay with the jar money. As he stood slowly counting out the change and arranging it into $1 stacks, the clerk waited patiently. But when they handed her all the money, the clerk said, “You owe nothing. Merry Christmas!”

“I don’t understand,” Shirley questioned. “We owe you nearly $20.”

“The lady in front of you saw it was taking everything you had to pay for these groceries,” the clerk responded. “She gave me $20 before she left and said to tell you ‘Merry Christmas.’”

Shirley was so overwhelmed by the stranger’s generosity (even if it was mis­placed) that she has made it a passion this year to give away that $20 and more to everyone she sees in real need as the film title say “Pay it forward.”

Isn’t it amazing that when someone does something spontaneously kind and generous for us, we feel compelled to pass it on. Pay it forward.

God understands. He created the principle. He is good to us whether we de­serve it or not. Read the texts we memorized long ago:

“Do unto others . . .”

“Freely ye have received . . .”

“Go and do thou likewise . . .”

Dear sisters, let’s really—literally—love others. We might just change the world as we pay it forward.

God bless you, every one.

Sharon